Bent, Not Broken
by Bellie149
Summary: Dizzie Future Fic- Lizzie and Darcy are engaged, and life seems to be careering away from what they both expected. Told from Lizzie's POV mainly, but some other character perspectives.
1. Chapter 1

Lizzie rolled over, flinging her arm before her, expecting to land on William's strong body. But her fiancé wasn't there. Lizzie opened her eyes and patted the empty space next to her. Then she groaned as she remembered their fight.

It was brutal, she brought up his inability to function socially, and he threw back her desire to prevent him from helping her with anything, even her student loans. She retaliated with his constant interference with his family: with her work, with Gigi's new boyfriend, she even brought up his crucial role in separating Jane and Bing. That made him angry, angrier than she had ever seen him and brought out the side of him that she had only seen once before. He snapped at her that he had apologised for separating Bing and Jane, thank you! And that he was doing her a favour by marrying her. Up until that point, Lizzie had been ready to fight, but when he repeated the words of Catherine DeBourgh, and Caroline Lee, she froze. The insecurities she had tried to overcome and tried to stop thinking that she wasn't good enough for him came flooding back as if they had never gone away. She had then ran from the room into their bedroom and slammed the door shut. She burst into tears and sank to the floor sobbing. He never came to comfort her, maybe he was too angry, too ashamed, but that had never stopped him before. So she had fallen into bed wearing his old college shirts.

Lizzie lay in bed, listening for sounds of life in the kitchen. It was just her and William in the condo now. Their engagement coincided with Gigi moving in with Robert, so they had had the place to themselves. In the first few months, they were blissfully happy together, but then the wedding planning stopped, despite her mother, her sisters, Charlotte and Gigi trying to cajole them into starting again but something always came up. Then the arguments they had stopped being intellectual debates, and started becoming more personal and harsh and they started acting as if their only aim was to hurt each other. Well he certainly managed that last night, Lizzie thought bitterly. Accepting that she would have to talk to William, she got out of bed and walked purposefully to the kitchen. It was as empty as his side of the bed. She could see signs that he had been here lately: the dishes from last night's meal were drying off on the draining board next to the mug he had clearly drank all the coffee from before leaving for work. Lizzie put a fresh load of coffee into the machine and waited for it to bring her the beautiful liquid that she failed to function without.

Assuming he had already gone into the office, Lizzie showered and walked to Pemberley Digital, using the unforgiving hills to work off the frustration that had begun to build when she thought how long it took for her and William to be together, and now how easily it was to pretend they weren't in love. When she arrived at Pemberley, she headed straight to his office determined to see him, but his secretary stopped her saying Mr Darcy was in meetings all day and so there was no point expecting to see him. Lizzie nodded, and walked to her desk. She smiled to herself when she realised that William normally arranged meetings so they were in them together but her smile faded when she checked her calendar and saw he had removed himself as an attendee in every meeting she was in for the next week. That hurt.

The rest of the day passed in a blur and Lizzie arrived back at the condo stressed, frustrated, tired and emotional. Way too emotional for her liking, but she just didn't understand what went wrong. She cooked dinner for them both, even though it wasn't her turn and she wouldn't cook unless she absolutely had to. He knew this, so he would understand the gesture.

For four hours she sat at their dining room table, picking at the food she, it appears, had made for only herself. She was considering going to bed when she heard his car pull into the garage. He stopped very suddenly when he saw her there, as if he wasn't expecting to see her. Nodding to the food, he said "I've already eaten" and then proceeded to walk towards the stairs.

"No you don't William Darcy!" He turned when he heard her voice, "I may have just sat here for four hours waiting for you, or I may have spent all day hovering near the conference rooms hoping to see you but right now I don't care about that, because you cannot walk away from me like that! We are engaged, and yes things have got crappy but you have to talk, right now, I deserve it, especially after last night."

His eyes flickered slightly, Lizzie thought she could see some guilt in his eyes, but the rest of him was still and emotionless. Darcybot had returned.

Tears began to leak from Lizzie's eyes as she whispered, just loud enough for him to hear "please?"

When he didn't respond, she got angry and yelled "you said you would do everything in your power to make sure I was happy and that I never got hurt! Have you forgotten that? Because your behaviour recently would suggest that you had!"

"No, I haven't forgotten. So, whilst what I'm about to say might hurt you in the short run, it will be of great benefit to you in long term. Lizzie, I believe we should terminate our relationship. I feel we no longer understand each other, and currently are doing each other more harm than good."

It took Lizzie a few moments to process what she heard. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she removed the gorgeous engagement ring from her finger and placed it on the table. She hadn't taken the ring off once since he gave it to her and already her hand felt empty.

"As you wish."


	2. Chapter 2

When Lizzie woke the next morning, she struggled to make sense of her surroundings. After remembering the night before and staring at her empty ring finger, she pulled herself together and ran to the master bedroom. She had resolved the night before that she had to go, she and William needed space and as it was his condo, the person to leave should be her.

She threw her clothes into the two suitcases she brought with her to San Francisco, making to grab the clothes she had declared dirty laundry. She didn't want anything of hers to be left here. Moving through the condo, she collected her belongings from the lounge, the dining room, the kitchen, and after pausing to gather her thoughts, she moved quickly into the study to grab some books she'd left and exited the room straightaway. Normally she'd sit in one of the leather chairs and stare at the room, completely entranced by the books and simplicity of it. But not today.

She changed into her sweats and moved her bags to her car. William had helped her choose it, and even though she had paid for it and bought it herself, thank goodness she had listened to his recommendation for the model with a larger boot. Her belongings fitted neatly into it, segregated from each other. Like William's emotions, she whispered to herself. After leaving her set of keys on the kitchen counter where he would see them, she did a quick check of every room making sure she hadn't forgotten anything, and then reluctantly left the condo, making sure the door had locked behind her. There was no way of getting back inside now, and she tried hard not to think of it as a metaphor for her relationship with William.

Lizzie sat in the car for a while trying to work out her next move. She decided that she wasn't going to stay in San Francisco, there were too many memories attached to the place. Thinking she'd figure it out when she started driving, Lizzie reversed away from the condo, trying not to think that it might be the last time she called it home.

* * *

The condo was eerily quiet when William Darcy arrived home from work. Despite it being a Saturday, he knew Lizzie would need space to figure out what to do next and he didn't want to cause her any more harm than he already had.

He moved through the condo to the kitchen, and stopped at the sight of her keys on the counter. He didn't know why it surprised him so much; he had suggested they ended it after all. He was a fool if he thought she was going to stay here after he had broken her heart. He knew that she was trying to be strong but she gave way to the tears that showed her hurt and surprise at his words.

Pocketing the keys, lest Gigi find them and start asking questions, William Darcy walked to the master bedroom, pausing at the door to survey the room. Instantly he could tell something had changed. On the dresser, her jewellery had disappeared. On her side of the bed, the book she had been reading recently was gone, along with her watch she almost always forgot to wear.

He closed the door, and instead went to the study. Some nights, he'd return home from Pemberley and find her in here, staring at the books. It amused him greatly that someone could be so enraptured by a collection of books, but he always sat with her until she decided it was time for food, time to sleep, or simply stared at the books enough. He sank into the chair behind his desk, contemplating the previous night. He hated the way it had ended, he hated hurting her. When he delivered the words that he wanted out, he had relied so heavily on his ability to appear detached from his emotions. He hadn't needed to for a long time, but suddenly things had changed. She wasn't happy anymore, and even though he knew it was his fault, he didn't know what to do to make it better. That had probably made things worse because as he felt more and more useless at rectifying the situation, the more he had pulled away hoping that it would solve things.

He heard the front door slam, and for a split second he thought it was Lizzie, but a familiar shriek chased that thought away:

"WILLIAM DARCY! WHAT ON EARTH DID YOU DO?!" Gigi burst into the study, and almost threw her phone at him. He saw Lizzie's name on the screen and turned his head away. Gigi saw this and grabbed her phone back.

"Why did Lizzie text me saying she was going to be out of town for a bit, and that she was sorry? Sorry for what William? What happened?" He raised his head and stared at his sister. Gigi looked scarily like his Aunt Catherine at that point in time. Sighing, he walked past Gigi and out the door.

"I ended it."

* * *

Lizzie knocked on the friendly, familiar front door, praying someone would open it quickly. With the exception of the tears that escaped when she took off her engagement ring, she hadn't cried. She hadn't let herself go, and let herself feel everything that was building. Everything she'd done since that moment had been the actions of auto pilot Lizzie, the practical, Mass Communications graduate she was. Absentmindedly, she began to twist her ring finger, expecting the beautiful ring she loved dearly to turn with her. When nothing happened, she looked at her hand somewhat expectantly, waiting for the ring to reappear.

* * *

"Elizabeth, what are you doing here? Did you bring that handsome fiancé of yours?" Mrs Bennet looked her middle daughter with surprise, and then shock when Lizzie began sobbing on her mother's shoulder. Lizzie was the daughter that never told her mother how she was feeling, and only cried in front of her if she had physically injured herself. This was so out of character that Mrs Bennet nearly cried herself.

* * *

Lizzie was only vaguely aware that it was her mother's shoulder she was crying on and not Jane's or her father's. She hadn't realised she was going home until she reached their road, and auto pilot Lizzie gave up. She was only vaguely aware of her mother yelling at her father to grab her bags from the car. She was only vaguely aware of her mother telling Lydia to make some tea. She was only vaguely aware of being coaxed upstairs, and coaxed to lie down, on her bed, under the covers, because she needed sleep. Her last thought before she went to sleep is how the voice reminded her of Lydia learning to walk. It reminded her of Lydia being coaxed to walk across the den from the couch to her mother. It was comforting, and goodness knows, Lizzie needed it.


	3. Chapter 3

Light flickering on her face is what made Lizzie Bennet wake up that morning. She guessed it was very early morning and she had no desire to get up at all. She looked at her ceiling, and stared at the glow-in-the-dark stars Jane had helped her put up when she was 5 and even though she was too old for the night light, the dark was still an unpleasant topic. Jane suggested the stars and they spent a fun afternoon sticking them up, using the broom to push them into place.

Lizzie sat up on her elbows and look at the cause of the pressure on her legs. Lydia had curled up by her legs like a cat, while her cat, Kitty, had curled up against Lydia. Someone had covered them in a blanket, and looking to her side she assumed it was her mother. Her mother was sat on a chair, presumably keeping vigil of her sleeping daughters, but now she was fast asleep herself. Lizzie had the chance to look at her mother properly. She was looking older, the stress of their financial problems, Lydia's fragility over the last two years after George, and Jane and Lizzie both moving away. No wonder her mother was tired. Worrying really takes it out of you.

Lizzie found herself beginning to understand her mother better than she ever had. She could see that her mother's actions were to ensure that her daughters were able to live well and they would have people around them to care for them; and because of the generation difference, Mrs Bennet thought that this was best done by finding a rich husband and procreating as soon as possible. Quite an evolutionary approach to life, thought Lizzie, resources to survive and the ability to pass on genes successfully. Feeling better at understanding her mother more, Lizzie snuggled back under her covers and fell asleep again, despite the light her poor excuse for drapes failed to block out.

When Lizzie woke properly that day, her mother was gone from her room and so had Kitty, but Lydia remained where she was, looking quite peaceful. Deciding not to wake her, Lizzie carefully slipped out of her bed and walked to the kitchen. She found her mother baking pancakes, and her father reading his paper and chewing his pipe. They both looked up when she walked in, and smiling she hugged her mother (who nearly burnt the pancakes she was so surprised) and kissed her father on the cheek. Pouring herself a cup of coffee, she sat at the breakfast bar and decided to inform her parents of recent events.

"I'm sorry for turning up like such as mess. Wil-Darcy and I are no longer together. I don't really want to talk about it in depth at this point in time." Lizzie paused to take a sip of her coffee. "I'm going to take a month's sabbatical from Pemberley, and then I'll decide what to do from then onwards."

Lizzie had originally intended to start her own company, Bennet Productions. She had the business plan and everything drawn up in a yellow manila folder, but when she arrived at San Francisco, she panicked and realised she wasn't ready; she didn't have the experience and the knowledge. So she took up Darcy's offer to work at Pemberley, initially for a trail period but 6 months turned into nearly 3 years and to be completely honest she got too comfortable to leave.

Slightly unnerved by her parents' lack of talking, she smiled at them again and walked to her room. Lizzie heard her mother whisper rather loudly to her father asking if he knew anyone who could beat up Darcy, and she chuckled to herself, when her father tutted at her mother. Lizzie sat on her bed, grabbed her laptop and began drafting a letter to the head of HR at Pemberley.

* * *

William Darcy stared at his computer, quite unable to process what he just read. Anna, the head of HR, had emailed him asking if Lizzie was okay as she had just requested a month's sabbatical. He hadn't thought that Lizzie was going to leave Pemberley, she had a project to finish, and they were beginning to build more components for Domino.

He found himself wondering once again where Lizzie had gone. He assumed she had gone back home, but he knew her mother would ask questions and annoy Lizzie to no end. So why would she voluntarily spend a month unnecessarily under her mother's scrutiny. But then he remembered, it wasn't voluntarily. She had been forced out by none other than himself. Resisting the urge to ring her and tell her he still loved her, William Darcy resolved never to think of her again, and once more found himself trying to believe that he did not love her anymore.

* * *

Lydia Bennet knew that now was the time to return the favour back to her nerdy older sister. Lizzie had been here when she had had her life turned upside down, inside out and back to front in the space of a few minutes. But now, as she was moving on and feeling better every day, was the time to remind Lizzie, like Lizzie had reminded her many times, that she was not alone and the Lyd-dee-ahh was here for her completely.

Lydia decided to ring Jane first. Jane sat silent as Lydia recounted what had happened over the previous day or so, she made sure to note that Lizzie wasn't wearing her engagement ring and that she gave mom a hug this morning without saying anything snarky. Jane said soothing words, and promised to be home in the next week or so. Jane had started her own fashion line about a year ago, and had employed some wonderful people who were able to take care of her business but Fashion Week had just finished and Jane had some stuff to take care of before she came home. She said that Bing hadn't heard anything from Darcy, but that they would both come. However, they would stay in Netherfield as they were a married couple now, and they need space.

By the time Lydia hung up on Jane she was feeling better already, and after repeating the same information to Charlotte who promised to call Lizzie and try and get back home soon, she felt a lot calmer. But there was still someone she needed to call.

"Hi, it's Lydia. Can you talk?"


	4. Chapter 4

Jane arrived a week after Lizzie did. Lizzie spent that week trying to keep busy: she read books she'd bought and forgotten about; she spent a lot of time with Lydia and they grew closer than they had before. Lizzie now understood more than ever about how Lydia felt after George screwed her over and the recognition of this helped Lizzie to realise that she can survive this heartache that one William Darcy had caused, because Lydia was proof.

Lizzie spent more time with her father. He didn't always press her talk to him, instead just handed her a cloth to clean his train pieces, or the travel section from the newspaper. Lizzie found the solitude in which they sat just what she needed. Her father didn't pry and he accepted when she couldn't speak anymore, when the lump in her throat that she'd been ignoring began to rise and she felt the tears burning in her eyes, threatening to swell over. Her mother had been acting strangely, she made Lizzie endless cups of tea and there were times when Lizzie looked up to find her mother staring at her, worry written all over her face. That scared Lizzie, so much so that she began to take long walks to get out of the house and stop her mother worrying.

But everything she tried to focus on always resulted in her thinking about him. She missed him so much, and loved him so much that the thought of them being apart forever was physically hurting her. Nights were the worst. She didn't realise how accustomed she had become to them sleeping next to each other. The way he curved round her body and protected her with his arms, the way he became a human radiator when he slept, and if her toes got cold she'd took delight in pressing them up against his legs and laughing at his expression when the cold shocked him awake. She was so used to knowing he was there and that she wasn't alone, that during that first week she cried and sobbed herself to sleep every night. She was determined not cry in front of her family again, but at night she gave up all pretence of being okay. She was free to cry, and they didn't have to know how broken she was. She wasn't okay and the night Jane arrived at Netherfield, Lizzie finally admitted she didn't know how to be okay anymore.

* * *

Lydia Bennet knew Lizzie spent her first week back in the family home crying herself to sleep. Lydia also knew that Lizzie didn't want anyone to know and that's why she was crying at night. Lydia used to do it after George left. No one heard Lydia because Lizzie was asleep and she was in the room closest to Lydia. She waited until she heard Lizzie snoring softly and then she let go. She let everything that had built up out. Lydia knew that this was what Lizzie was doing, and so she let her. Lydia hated hearing her sister in so much pain but she didn't want to interfere. Lizzie was mourning the loss of her relationship, and it was hers. Lydia didn't know Lizzie and William Darcy's relationship the way Lizzie did.

One week after Lizzie arrived home, Lydia was in bed rereading The Hunger Games when she heard the muffled sobs of her older nerdy sister breaking into pieces. Lydia couldn't stand it anymore. She was so scared that the breakup was going to break Lizzie so much that nothing was going to fix her. Determined that the Darcybot would not destroy everything that made her sister, her sister, Lydia opened the door to Lizzie's room and climbed into the bed to hug her sister.

"Lydia I'm fine, go back to sleep." Lizzie tried to stop crying, but when Lydia didn't answer and jut hugged her tighter, Lizzie gave up and cried.

"Don't worry dear nerdy Lizzie, I'm here and I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

"Lydia rang me." William Darcy looked up to find his sister standing in the doorway to his office at Pemberley with her arms crossed. She hadn't spoken to him since Lizzie had left, Gigi didn't understand why he had ended things and he couldn't find the right words to explain.

"Lizzie went home, she got there safe, you don't need to worry." He carried on working, acting as though he hadn't heard Gigi talk.

She stayed silent for a while, and after five minutes of pretending to work, he looked up to find the doorway empty. Gigi had given up. According to Fitz, she was hurt that William didn't trust her enough to explain to her. Fitz also said that William Darcy was the only thing Gigi had in the entire world, and when Lizzie walked into their lives, Gigi had two. Now he had pushed Lizzie away, and Gig was left with a brother who refused to treat her like an adult.

William Darcy sighed. He was working all hours to avoid going back to the empty condo. He didn't like calling it home, because without Lizzie it wasn't home. It was just the shell of a life he had once known, that after the tragedy of his parents, he and Gigi were happy and Lizzie was the reason why. William Darcy had spent years watching Lizzie and he knew her so well, so forcing her away was the hardest thing to do. He didn't want to make the love of his life heartbroken, but it seemed like the best thing to do. He knew now that it was entirely irrational and so wrong. But he had made a decision and he had to live with it. It would eventually become the best option and Lizzie would be better in the long term. He was sure of it, or so told himself. William Darcy would not admit that he may have ruined everything about Lizzie that made her Lizzie, and there was the possibility that she wouldn't recover. That she may have run out tools and it was all his fault.


	5. Chapter 5

It had been six months since he had ended their relationship, and six months since she had taken off her engagement ring and then taken off herself. And Lizzie Bennet knew that six months wasn't enough to get over the love of your life.

She had spent every day for the past two months expecting to wake up and not feel the loss that, at times, paralysed her. She was tired of feeling vulnerable and she was tired of feeling lost. She left Pemberley after her sabbatical, and it was the most unstructured five months of her life since being an adult. In the beginning her routine was simple. Every day she walked in the morning, went to the book shop she loved whilst Lydia was at school or work, they met up for lunch and then tried something new every afternoon. So far Lizzie had learnt to tap dance, to rock climb, to knit, to horse ride, to play European Rugby. She and Lydia had visited every karaoke bar in the vicinity. She got to know Mary so much better and found she had a true friend in the girl, who forgave Lizzie for her previous neglect. Every day was filled with something and everyday Lizzie was trying to distract herself from the problems that she was trying to ignore.

Two months ago, Jane told everybody she was pregnant. And two months ago, Lizzie had run away. She knew it was childish, unbelievably selfish and completely pointless as it wasn't going to solve anything. But Lizzie didn't care. She stayed around long enough to hug Jane, and smile at Bing but then she left. She drove to the train station and picked a random train to go on. She didn't have very much money with her so only got so far.

When her dad found her, on a lone bench in a small town, Lizzie allowed herself to crumble. She had forced herself to stop crying after she realised Lydia could hear her. But Jane's news only reminded her of how it could have been her and...him. She couldn't say his name, or think about it, without feeling like her world had ended all over again. Lizzie Bennet never thought that she would need a man to make her feel complete. But her love for him had entirely overwhelmed that judgement.

That day Lizzie admitted to her father that she was not okay, and she had good reason to believe that she would never be quite the same again.

* * *

It had been six months since he had ended their relationship, and six months since she had taken off her engagement ring and then taken off herself. And William Darcy knew that six months wasn't enough to get over the love of your life.

His life, in the space of six months, had become entirely empty and he was completely and utterly alone. Gigi rarely spoke to him, and as he never went home to the condo, he didn't have the chance to talk to her. William Darcy had created himself a home inside his office. He bought a sofa bed to replace his old couch because after spending several weeks sleeping on it, finding out that it was so uncomfortable, and realising that he had no desire to go back to the condo ever since to two people who had made it home had left, he needed a better option. No one at Pemberley knew about Darcy sleeping there, not even his secretary knew and he wanted it that way.

Fitz had also given up on him. He had tried in the beginning to be there for him, but as William Darcy became more and more withdrawn, Fitz became more and more frustrated that he couldn't help his best friend, and that his best friend didn't want help.

The truth was William Darcy didn't know how to cope. He was suffering from a decision that he, no one else, had made.

* * *

In the six months that Lizzie had left San Francisco, Fitz felt he had lost his friendship with William Darcy. Fitz had thought that, sub-consciously, Darcy was punishing himself and making himself miserable because he knew he had made Lizzie so miserable. Fitz knew that she was miserable because he received weekly updates from Lydia who kept himself and Gigi informed of Lizzie's well being. Fitz was grateful that someone was looking after Lizzie because he was ashamed of his best friend's behaviour.

Since Darcy had become so robotic, Fitz had sort of replaced him as an older brother type figure for Gigi. Even though she was living with Robert, she still needed to know that someone was looking out for her, and the while incident with George had left her more wary of people's true affection for her.

It was sad, Fitz thought to himself, how that in six months everything he thought stable was crumbling. And whilst he would not admit it to anyone, he blamed Darcy for it.

* * *

Jane Bennet was not aware how consuming hate was. When she saw Lizzie run from the room, hatred filled her body. Hatred for William Darcy, hatred for how he had reduced her little sister to someone so unhappy, so unsure of everything. It was the same sort of hatred she had experienced when George destroyed her baby sister. The two men were cut from the same cloth in a way she did not expect.

This hatred stayed with her for longer than she expected. She did not tell Bing that she hated, detested his best friend. She couldn't, it wasn't fair to colour Bing's judgement of his best friend. She kept it hidden throughout their short stay home, she kept it hidden as she listened to Lizzie's apologies for running away, and she kept it hidden when she heard Lydia tell Lizzie that they didn't need men to be happy. It wasn't fair that she was so blissfully happy with Bing, and her sisters were so alone and felt so unwanted. Jane didn't tell anyone about her hatred when she and Bing travelled to LA to see his family and inform them of their baby.

When Bing and Jane arrived by in New York, after a tiring week of visiting family and flying, she still didn't tell him about her hatred. She also didn't tell him that she had plans to speak to Darcy. In fact Jane told no one that she travelled to San Francisco while Bing spent the day in meetings with charities all day, to see Darcy. She arrived quite late but saw lights on in Pemberley. When she arrived at his office, his surprise was evident, but clearly laced with disappointment that it wasn't Lizzie stood in front of him.

And at this, Jane's hatred had evaporated. The man in front of was not the cold, unfeeling monster she had imagined breaking her sister. This man was broken as well, he was even sleeping in his office, he hadn't eaten for days and he was radiating despair.

"Jane...are you well? Is Bing well?"

"I am fine Darcy, thank you. Bing is also well. But I don't think you are at all."


	6. Chapter 6

Lizzie Bennet was starting to feel more like herself. Her heart no longer shattered when someone said his name, these days is just cracked slightly. She felt better in the mornings, and slept for longer. She still woke up somewhere between 3 and 4, but that was just because he used to steal the covers and she would be woken up by the cold. She never minded though, she was just happy to remind herself that he was hers.

One morning, when she woke up at 3.47am she stayed awake. Today was the anniversary of his parents death, and she would always stay awake on this day, watching him sleep and then comforting him when his grief took over and his nightmares were acted out in his sleep. More than once he had woken up shaking, looking around for Lizzie and then running to Gigi's room. Once Gigi had assured him that she was alive and well, just very tired, he would return back to their room where Lizzie would hold him until his fears had subsided. He always used to ring Fitz, just so he knew he was there. Lizzie, Fitz and Gigi had come to expect this.

Lizzie lay in bed for the next four hours before deciding she had to door something or she would go crazy. She decided to run. Lizzie ran several miles that morning, and she was hurting like mad by the time she arrived home, but the pain she felt was in her muscles and her body. This was first time pain in her body felt worse than the constant ache she felt in her heart.

She turned the corner to her house in desperate need of a shower and a cup of tea, and that was then she saw it. His sensible black BMW. The kind of car Lizzie had not expected a successful CEO to drive, and the car Lydia was convinced made him look middle aged. She slowed and her entire body went into panic mode. She seriously considered running back the way she came, but his patience with her was endless and he knew that if he wanted to talk to her, he would wait until she would listen.

Once he had spent the night in the hallway outside the guest bedroom in the condo waiting for her to come out. She had freaked out about starting her company, and moving to San Francisco, and leaving Lydia and her parents and basically blamed it all on him. And he stayed, and waited for her without complaining and didn't say anything when she finally emerged.

When she approached his car, she saw that it wasn't his body taking up the driver's seat. It was someone much smaller who was curled up on the seat.

"Gigi?"

* * *

William Darcy was panicking. Full on panicking. His little sister, whom he hadn't spoken to properly in months had disappeared. She wasn't answering her phone, she wasn't at the condo because security had told him so, and she wasn't at her place with Robert. He had said that Gigi was away at a conference. William knew this wasn't true, he knew her schedule, so Gigi must have lied to him. Fitz wasn't telling him where she was, just that she was safe.

This wasn't enough for William Darcy. He had woken up early this morning. Very early, like he does every morning on this day, because his nightmares make him do so. Only this year, one nightmare had come true. Lizzie was gone, and she was far away and very unlikely to ever come back to him. Which is why it was critical that he speak to Gigi.

William Darcy spent the whole day ringing Gigi. He grew more and more frustrated every time it went to voicemail. On probably the 245th time, someone picked up the phone. But it wasn't Gigi.

"William? Hi"

He thinks he can hear her heart break slightly when she answers. He hasn't heard her voice in months but she's there on the phone waiting for him to reply. And he knows he must but he just wants to listen to her talk. He's missed her so much, and has spent these past months with a gaping hole in his life. A Lizzie sized hole that brought love, joy, peace and safety. And he wants her back.

* * *

Lizzie Bennet panicked when she saw his caller ID show up. Gigi had turned her phone off to save the battery and when she fell asleep Lizzie placed it on charge so it would be ready for her when she woke up. She didn't expect to see 244 missed calls from him. But as she stared at the number, she realised it made sense. He needed to know if she was okay, and he wasn't going to stop until he did. Knowing this, it shouldn't have been so much of a surprise to see him ring again. But she answered. And she's not sure why she does, but she does it anyway.

"William? Hi"

She wanted to sound casual, not like her heart was breaking just by saying those eight letters. He didn't say anything. He was probably in shock. So she spoke again.

"Gigi is safe. She drove through the night and ended up at my parents. She's sleeping now. I'll get her to call you when she wakes up..."

She's about to hang up when she hears him reply.

"Lizzie...thank you."

When he says her name, tears start streaming down her face. She wasn't ready for this.

"I have to go, Lydia's, er, calling me"

Later when Gigi wakes up, Lizzie just hands her the phone. She doesn't say anything about her conversation with him, just that Gigi should call him because he panics on this day.

And even later, when Lizzie is in bed, she lets the tears fall. She doesn't make a sound, and she doesn't try to stop them, but lets them fall as her acceptance that she misses him more than she ever believed possible.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N**

**I'm soooooooooo sorry for the long delay! I've had exams and stress and boy drama but I am back!**

**I hope you like it, and thank you so much for all following this story! It was my first ever open-to-the-public fanfiction, and it's overwhelming to see that so many of you like it. **

**I can't thank you enough! You have made me seriously happy!**

**If you like Harry Potter, I've written a couple of oneshots about the characters and also a James and Lily fanfic.**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

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Lizzie Bennet thought hospital chairs were deceptively uncomfortable. She would know, she had spent the past two and a half days in one waiting to hear news. That was the other thing she hated about hospital chairs, they implied that a lot of waiting was to be had whilst sat on them. The impatient Type A aspects of her personality abhorred waiting. But the waiting was going to end in good news, she knew that so the waiting didn't seem so bad. Especially with Lydia sock sliding up and down the corridor outside Jane's room. Their mother was in the birthing room with Jane and a very, very nervous Bing, and their father was outside having a smoke to presumably calm his nerves.

Lizzie felt like she needed her nerves calming. She knew that the arrival of Bing's child would ultimately bring about the arrival of a certain friend, who even after almost a year of not seeing, Lizzie knew that she still loved him. She hadn't dated anyone else, and more importantly she hadn't wanted to. She was still unemployed, but enjoyed the freedom she felt. Her time at Pemberley meant she was paid far more than she needed, so had saved the extra money and used it now to spend on what was now her life.

Jane's uncharacteristic screams forced Lizzie to stop contemplating her life. Lydia stopped mid-slide, and turned round, looking scared. Lizzie patted the chair next to her and when Lydia sat down, wrapped her arm around her shoulders. Even though Lizzie and Lydia were adults and capable of living their own lives, when Jane wasn't around to help guide them or offer advice they both felt quite lost.

"Oh my Lord! Elizabeth, Lydia come quickly! Where is your father? Go and get him! Jane's had her babies! Grandbabies!"

Lizzie stared at the door where her mother had just burst through and disappeared back into again. She turned to Lydia who was bouncing up and down on her seat.

"Lizzie, did Mom say 'babies'?"

* * *

William Darcy was halfway through a bottle of whisky when Bing text him.

_I'm a father to TWO girls! Rose Elizabeth Lee and Paige Lydia Lee! They're absolutely gorgeous. Jane is doing well. Are you going to come and visit?_

It was very obvious from Bing's text who the godmothers of those babies were. William Darcy felt his throat begin to close as he thought about how that could have been him and Lizzie. Only he was the idiot that decided letting her go was clearly the obvious option.

Would he go and visit? He didn't know. He didn't think any of the Bennets would want to see him, and he didn't want to make things uncomfortable for Jane and Bing.

But he did want to see Lizzie. Just to check that she wasn't wasting away. He poured himself another glass of whisky, concluding that he would decide in the morning.

* * *

Gigi Darcy was very happy and excited to receive a text from both Bing and Lydia informing her about the two new little Lee girls. But she also knew it came with a consequence. Bing would want William there and William would go because he would always go, and William would see Lizzie. Gigi knew that neither William nor Lizzie were over their relationship and she had strong suspicions that both of them were still in love with the other. So she decided that she would go with William to Bing and Jane's to give him the moral support that he needed in order to go.

She arrived at the condo that Saturday a little after 10, knowing her brother would be back from his morning bike ride. Gigi pushed open the door and was greeted with the sight of her older brother snoring on the sofa wearing his dress shirt and suit pants, surrounded by bottles and bottles of alcohol.

"William?" She shook his shoulder and he stirred, opening one eye.

"Gigi?" She nodded stiffly. They had only briefly spoken on the anniversary of their parents' death and then resumed not speaking. This was the first time they had seen each other properly since his break up with Lizzie.

"Why are you here? Not that I'm not glad to see you, I thought you weren't talking to me."

Gigi began to tidy up the mess William was surrounded in.

"I'm going with you to Bing and Jane's to see their twins. And before you say anything you're going. You don't need to worry about seeing Lizzie, Lydia will be there to distract her so you can see Bing without seeing her."

"Gigi, I want to see her."

Gigi stopped cleaning up the bottles and looked at William.

"I don't think you deserve to see her."

Without another word, William got up from the couch and a couple of minutes later, Gigi heard the shower running. A quick text to Fitz about her plans and a cup of coffee, Gigi was ready to leave. William hadn't emerged from his bedroom yet. After half an hour of waiting, Gigi was about to go on her own, but then William appeared. He walked into the kitchen, poured himself a travel mug full of coffee, grabbed Gigi's holdall and opened the front door. Before he left the condo, he turned to Gigi.

"I hope that one day soon I will deserve to see her again."

And with that, William left. Gigi followed him and locked the condo behind her. Secretly, she hoped for the same thing.

* * *

When Jane told Lizzie and Lydia that they would be Godmothers, Lizzie burst into tears. Jane, Lydia, their parents and Bing all stared at her. Lizzie Bennet was openly crying in front her family. And Lizzie Bennet didn't really care.

When she had finally calmed down, her father took pictures of the three sisters with Jane's twins and Lizzie began whispering to little Rose Elizabeth. Jane looked at her with a smile on her face while Lydia giggled. Only those two could hear Lizzie telling the little girl that she was going to have to get used to Grandpa's pictures and when she hit 18, Grandma would tell her find a rich husband. But that in the end it didn't matter because Grandma would probably find a husband for her.

"That's what she did for Mommy. She got Auntie Lydia to stalk Daddy in her car and then pushed Mommy at him at a wedding. Soon you'll learn kid, everything important happens at weddings!"

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**Review if you like, any constructive criticism is welcomed!**


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